Executive Director of the Compass Center Stepping Down

An organization in Sioux Falls that provides free services and counseling to survivors of sexual and domestic abuse is in search of a new leader. Michelle Markgraf, executive director of The Compass Center, announced she'll be resigning in May 2019 to join her husband in New Ulm, Minnesota where he's been working since last summer. Markgraf has been executive director of The Compass Center since 2015.

Markgraf says she's sad to leave The Compass Center and Sioux Falls, but looks back on her time here with a sense of accomplishment and hopes the groundwork she helped lay will propel the organization in years to come.

Markgraf helped usher in a big move for The Compass Center earlier this year when the office relocated to a larger space on the east side of town. She says she's proud of the organization's growth over the last few years. "We're better known, and we have a great reputation," she said.

When she accepted the position of executive director in January 2015, Markgraf recognized the need to grow. At the time, the majority of funding was from the state. She didn't know a thing about fundraising, so she took a class through Indiana University and got to work. Since taking over, donor funding has increased by about 800%, she said. A search for a new executive director is already underway.